According to comic book lore, playboy millionaire OLIVER QUEEN and his alter ego, GREEN ARROW, usually call the streets of STAR CITY home, yet on television, he seems to have taken quite a shine to another big city. In Smallville’s sixth season, the modern-day Robin Hood took up residence in Metropolis before leaving to launch a worldwide assault on Lex Luthor’s 33.1 facilities. These days, Oliver has become a permanent fixture in Clark Kent’s life, so what has his increased presence meant for actor Justin Hartley and his colorful character?

“That’s a good question,” says Hartley. “For me, you get to interact a little more with all the other characters and be there a little bit more. As an actor, you’re able to dig deeper and can pace yourself more. You don’t have to make such a big deal out of two seconds because you might be there for four [instead]. You don’t have to come in and steal every scene, not that I ever did. That pressure’s gone. There’s a little more pressure because you have to show up every day, so it’s not like you come in, knock out five scenes in a week, and you’re done. You get to keep coming back week after week and, lucky for me, I love it. For the character, that’s where the real reward is. The reason we do the show is for the people who love it, and when you have a character as cool and as complicated as Oliver is, it’s great for the audience to see a little more of him and to enjoy the time the writers can spend on the character. I love the fact I’m here more.”

Returning in the season eight premiere, Odyssey, it didn’t take long for Oliver to suit up to seek out his missing friend, CLARK KENT.

“It’s funny,” grins Hartley. “If there are two or three weeks between when I put the leather on, they bring me in for a fitting. I have this huge big black eye and I’ve been gone for about two weeks. I have a fitting today at noon to make sure I can still get into the costume. I’m just waiting for the day it doesn’t fit! As far as getting back into Oliver’s head space, it’s kind of a cop-out if you tell somebody, ‘Oh yeah, it took me the first few scenes to get back into the character.’ I feel like you owe it to yourself, to the craft, and to everybody else to work the kinks out before you step on set. My opinion is you should always be prepared.”

It appears Oliver has more layers than his peers give him credit for, although it wasn’t until Toxic that viewers got a peek at his past and what really makes him tick.

“I appreciate that they did that,” states Hartley. “It didn’t have to be done at all. Any minute you take away from Clark’s story is valuable, and that’s an honor they gave to me. They might have to wrap this thing up this year, or maybe not, but you have to plan for that. I was really happy and flattered they did that. It’s an ensemble cast, so unless you devote an entire hour to one character, there are other things going on. You’re really crunched for time, and I thought they did a really good job with it. We went on location, too, and [that] was a lot of fun.”

Thanks to Hartley’s charisma and portrayal of the heroic archer, Green Arrow has become a fan favorite and a worthy addition to the SMALLVILLE family.

Read the full interview in issue #31 of Smallville Magazine, on newsstands now!

Those shiny green rocks from his home planet may be Clark Kent’s weakness, yet for the feisty Lois Lane, men seem to be her own personal KRYPTONITE. Ever since she relocated to SMALLVILLE, the former army brat has been a magnet for psychopaths, meteor freaks, and bad seeds. The only bright spot on her dating track record was the dashing billionaire OLIVER QUEEN, and even he eventually broke it off with her in season six’s Justice. Although those sparks reignited when Oliver returned in season seven’s Siren, they were quickly extinguished when Lois couldn’t handle the fact that he was actually GREEN ARROW too.

“Lois was very honest about where she was,” offers Erica Durance about the break-up. “She wasn’t ready for that kind of relationship. It scared her a little bit, that this was somebody who would be off doing something dangerous and she wasn’t a part of the adventure. It didn’t really surprise me in that sense, because Lois certainly likes to know what’s going on. Of course, she ends up having that relationship with SUPERMAN later, but she has a different connection with Clark in that regard. Oliver was almost a prep for the real deal. When Lois was faced with Oliver being a super hero, perhaps she realized she didn’t love him deeply enough to be able to deal with his dual identity.”

On the rebound, Lois appeared to find a kindred spirit in charming DAILY PLANET editor Grant Gabriel, but that particular Mr. Right unfortunately turned out to be Mr. Clone.

“There’s a way an actor looks at the part and a way you have to allow the character to live and breathe,” says Durance about the failed romance. “Lois is human, and just like anybody else, she came across somebody who interested her and ended up having a non-intense relationship with him. As an actress, I looked at it right away and was like, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know.’ You’re always trying to protect the character and make them perfect. That’s the thing about Lois; she’ll stumble and fall, but she’ll always learn more about herself from it. At the time, maybe Lois probably didn’t realize she fell into that relationship to get over Oliver.”

On the surface, what Lois isn’t so fond of is her new Daily Planet co-worker. With Chloe fired by Lex, that vacancy was filled by budding newshound CLARK KENT.

“There’s a give and take between them, but I don’t think Lois sees him as a rival,” reports Durance. “Lois believes she can mentor Clark and show him the ropes. That creates some funny circumstances when she goes off to follow a story. She’s like ‘You have to stay with me to learn how to properly investigate a story.’ Clark then has to find a clever way to sneak away and save the day. That’s part of the joy of playing a relationship like that. It’s unpredictable and day-to-day; her views of Clark are constantly getting [turned on their head] and put her in a very uncomfortable position. She’s starting to realize just how much Clark means to her. That’s part of the discovery this season, which is interesting.”

Indeed, the two may get on each other’s nerves, but all that close proximity has only further complicated their growing affections.

“It’s one of those things that has bubbled up over time and they’re forced to deal with something that they’ve been able to ignore previously,” says Durance. “However, when they’re in your face all the time, it’s like ‘Whoa!’ It’s that struggle about whether they’re going to face it head on or totally avoid it.”

Lois’ Prince Charming may have been right before her eyes all along, yet Durance is glad it’s been a slow build to couplehood.

“I’ve always been a big fan of making sure it’s done in a very gentle way and is realistic to these characters,” she explains. “It’s an iconic relationship, and a little pay-off is good for those who are waiting for that. It takes some time and finesse. That’s my big thing, to make sure it’s not done in a clumsy manner, but in a way that’s fitting for the relationship.”

Cupid keeps giving them small nudges and shots to the heart, however. When Lois finds Clark and MAXIMA in a heavy make-out session in Instinct, she goes ballistic – enough that even the Queen of ALMERAC can’t ignore their heat.

“How Lois would view that is she had such an emotional reaction to Clark and Maxima kissing, where she was forced to deal with those feelings,” says Durance. “I don’t think she likes that very much. It also shows how human Lois is; the best side of her. Lois has found somebody she cares about. For Lois, she wasn’t [really] comfortable facing that.”

Then, under dire circumstances in Committed, Lois uttered those three magic words to Clark – “I love you” – before finding a way to retract them.

“Committed had a little bit of everything; all the underlying potential feelings, the comedy, the angst,” explains Durance. “Then, at the end, surprise, surprise, Lois admits how she feels, and in the last scene, she’s like, ‘Did I slip the lie detector off?’ I love all the twists and turns the episode had.”

Read the full interview in issue #31 of Smallville Magazine, on newsstands now!

CHARLOTTE SULLIVAN

An interview with Charlotte Sullivan (Maxima), featuring in issue #31 of Smallville Magazine.

In the Smallville episode Instinct, the fiery MAXIMA certainly knew how to make an entrance. Scantily clad in a tight leather outfit and transported to Metropolis in a blinding bolt of energy, the reigning queen of the planet ALMERAC didn’t waste any time planting a big, wet kiss on the first guy she encountered.

“My opening line as Maxima makes me laugh and go red,” admits actress Charlotte Sullivan. “It was, ‘I came when I saw your KRYPTONIAN beacon.’ I just thought I had to play it out funny. Of course, I was bashful. There was a certain element of shyness that crept up inside of me with having to say those things, wearing that costume, and knowing that it would be seen by millions of people.”

Introduced in Action Comics #645, in September 1989, Maxima wandered the cosmos in search of her soulmate to procreate with. Unfortunately for Smallville, her luscious lips meant the kiss of death for those who were genetically incompatible. As the body count mounted, Maxima soon discovered the only one worthy of her affections was CLARK KENT.

In the comic books, Maxima flip-flopped between being a hero and a villain, and Sullivan agrees this television incarnation was not so easily defined either.

“I really wanted the action sequences to speak for themselves,” offers Sullivan. “Those villainous elements, like throwing Lois in her car or slamming Tess against the wall, were already played out in the script. Adding that quality of feeling for Clark helped humanize her. When you are working in this capacity, you don’t want it to be mechanical; you want it to feel real. That was my intention. I wanted to add the element of love and longing for Clark.”

At the time of this interview, Instinct had only recently aired, so the highlights from the episode were still fresh in Sullivan’s mind.

“I loved the scene I did with Cassidy Freeman where I throw Tess,” offers Sullivan “She had a stuntwoman who had done millions of stunts for X-Men and other projects, but I was so concerned for her safety. She literally had to be slammed against the wall, so I was like, ‘You are too beautiful to be doing that kind of stuff, and I don’t want to break you.’ I just got such a thrill watching the technical aspect of that. However, I have to say, throwing the car and anything [in my scenes] with Erica were my favorites.”

Read the full interview in issue #31 of Smallville Magazine, on newsstands now!